


The Rope

by Manni26



Category: Stranger Things - Fandom
Genre: Achieving, Confidence, F/M, Feel-good, Gym class, High School, Low Self-Esteem, M/M, Phys. Ed, Rope Challenge, Teenagers, Teens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:54:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24805003
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Manni26/pseuds/Manni26
Summary: Jonathan being confident in gym class.
Relationships: Jonathan Byers & Joyce Byers, Jonathan Byers & Lonnie Byers, Jonathan Byers & Nancy Wheeler, Jonathan Byers & Will Byers, Jonathan Byers/Nancy Wheeler
Comments: 1
Kudos: 18





	The Rope

Jonathan never cared for phys. Ed class: scratch that, he loathed it. A bunch of sweaty boys running around in a circle, or throwing around a basketball or football wasn’t his idea of an important class. He hated it from beginning to end: changing clothes in the locker room, pointless warm-ups, baseball games where he was inevitably picked last, and of course, the showering after with his other classmates. 

It was pretty much torture for Jonathan. 

But then one day, it happened. After changing for class into his green and white shirt and shorts, he saw that the junior and senior girls would be joining them for the day. The female in particular that he noticed was none other than Nancy Wheeler, the girl who visited his dreams every evening. Sure, she was still with Steve, but a guy can fantasize can’t he? 

“Alright class,” the overweight gym teacher, Mr. Burke, spoke, “today we gotta knock out the physical fitness rope test, and since the rope is broken in the girl’s gym they gotta do it here with us.” 

Fuck.

The rope test. Jonathan was strong, nimble, and determined, but he also hated the rope test. Most years it consisted of him making it a few feet then falling into a pile of shame and humiliation. The other boys would laugh at his weakness usually, and it seemed that this time it wouldn’t just be the guys who got to laugh at him. 

Nancy was going to see him fail in front of a large group of students. His stomach quivered with anxiety as his teacher continued speaking. 

“Girls gotta get to the blue line, boys to the black like. If anyone makes it to the top of the rope, you get an automatic ‘A’ for the semester, got it? Kurt Sawyer, you’re up first.” 

The rope was probably thirty feet long, extending from the ceiling down to floor of the gym. Ten feet up was the blue line girls had to get to which was usually where Jonathan gave up and allowed himself to flop down onto the floor. Fifteen feet was where the boys had to be. 

Kurt went first and made it about twelve feet up before releasing. Next up was Greg Powell, then Robert Shaffer who both made it to the black line. Jonathan spied from the corner of his eye as Nancy watched the various boys climb the rope, and her face of amazement when they made it to the black line. 

His mind was made up- he had to make it to, or above that black line. 

No giving up this time.

“Tommy H, you’re next,” the teacher called out. With the most smug face in the world, the freckled boy grabbed the rope and quickly climbed up to the black line, then slightly above. He made it about twenty feet before letting go and dropping back down to the floor. The class erupted in applause. 

“Now that’s how it’s done you bunch of sissies!” Tommy bragged. 

“Jonathan Byers, you’re up.” 

Gulp. 

He’d fought monsters from another dimension. 

He’d rescued his little brother from an almost certain death. 

He’d pulled the girl of his dreams out of a tree, hugged her tighter than he’d ever held anything in his life, slept in her room, and allowed her to kiss him on the cheek. 

How could he be afraid of a rope? 

It wasn’t a rope he feared, but rather, the humiliation he would suffer if he fell in front of the love of his life. What would she think of him? Would she like him if he wasn’t strong, like Steve was? Hell, even Steve only made it a little past the black line. An all-star athlete that-.

Fuck that. 

Fuck it all. 

As he approached the rope, he heard others in the background giggling and laughing at the idea of Jonathan climbing the rope. He placed his hand firmly on braided beast. 

All his life people had underestimated him. His dad thought he was a pansy and a sissy because he couldn’t fight, wouldn’t shoot a gun, preferred to take photos rather than play sports. But his father didn’t know how he beat the shit out of Steve Harrington, made a sophisticated trap to catch an inter dimensional monster, and had more physical capabilities than anyone knew of. 

His mom and brother underestimated him, and though he didn’t like to admit it because he loved and cared about them so much, he knew it was true. They thought he couldn’t make friends because he was so shy, couldn’t get a girlfriend because he was a loner. But they didn’t know that he slept in Nancy’s room that fateful night, held her in his comforting arms, touched the soft, smooth skin of her delicate hand. 

But most of all, he knew he underestimated himself more than anyone. He gave up on so much because his lack of confidence wouldn’t allow him to take on new things. He could have had Nancy after everything that had happened, but he was too afraid to talk to her. He could have had more friends, but he chose to stay alone. He could have shown his photos to the world, but instead he kept them in a shoe box in his room. 

Not anymore. 

As thoughts rambled on in his head, Jonathan reached the black line and could hear an audible gasp from the onlookers below. He’d climbed higher than ever before! 

“I still went further,” he could hear Tommy H quietly reassure Carol, “he’s a pussy.” 

Those words pumped through his veins like the strongest drug. His dad used to call him that before he even knew what it meant, and it made him want to prove everyone wrong. Most of all, he wanted to prove to himself that everyone else was incorrect about him. 

His hands gripped tighter as he reached further, his feet and legs burning with strain. Not only did he have to pull himself up the rope, but the thought, expectations, fears, and doubts of others and himself. 

One hand at a time, one foot at a time. His abdomen muscles worked seamlessly with the rest of his lean physique to pull and shift upwards. He could see it, the top, where very few had ever been before.

“Holy shit!” Parker Adams exclaimed from below, “Byers is gonna get to the top!” 

Just a few more inches. 

Five.

Three.

One.

With great strain, he reached the top and had the privilege of ringing the little bell that few others ever touched. 

“Yeahhhh!” He heard erupting from classmates below as he slid down the rope. 

As his feet reached the ground, he could feel a burn in his legs and arms that wasn’t there before, but oddly it was satisfying. 

“Good work, kid,” his teacher patted him on the back. In a wobbly way, Jonathan walked away from the rope he’d conquered and back into the crowd where he heard whispers of all sorts of things, but he didn’t care. 

As he looked on at the next poor soul attempt the climb, a petite Nancy pranced over to him with a look of amazement on her delicate face. 

“That was amazing!” She cooed at his accomplishment, “I didn’t know you could do that!” Jonathan produced his classic half smile before responding. 

“I can do a lot of things when a solid ‘A’ is offered for the whole semester of gym.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was just a random story I wrote before work. I thought it would be interesting to talk about Jonathan in his gym class, explore some of his insecurities, and have him be a little confident. The writing is pretty bad, as I previously stated, this was all written in less than thirty minutes so you may have to use some imagination! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it and I appreciate feedback!


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